Shemot 5779​

Moses and the Ideal of Compassion for All Creatures​At the start of the third chapter of the Book of Exodus, Moses is shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro when, out of a burning bush, God calls to him and commissions him to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. Why does God choose Moses at this moment, while Moses is shepherding his father-in-law’s flock? One midrash (Exodus Rabbah 2:2) tells the story as follows:

"The Blessed Holy One only tested Moses by the flock. Our rabbis have said that when Moses our rabbi, peace be upon him, was shepherding the flock of Jethro in the wilderness, a kid escaped. He ran after it until he reached a shady place. When he reached the shady place, he happened upon a pool of water where the kid was standing, drinking. When Moses reached the kid, he said: 'I had not known that you had run away because of thirst. You must be tired.' He placed it on his shoulder and walked back. The Blessed Holy One said: 'You have shown compassion in guiding a flock belonging to a mortal; so, by your life, you should shepherd My flock, Israel.'"

Rather than rebuking the kid for escaping from his flock, Moses admits that he had not realized what the kid needed. He now sees what it needed and why it ran away, and he responds with compassion. It appears that this particular act of compassion for this one particular animal causes God to choose Moses to lead the people of Israel. God appears to Moses from the burning bush and asks God to "shepherd" Israel precisely because of Moses’s concern for the kid.

But it is not just compassion towards a particular animal that leads God to choose Moses; rather, I think, Moses’s compassion for the kid reveals something deeper about his character. Moses reveals not only his compassion for one creature, but his disposition to be compassionate towards all creatures, a disposition that resembles the divine ideal of compassion.

The Musar movement leader Rabbi Natan (Nosson) Tzvi Finkel of Slobodka (1849-1927) explains: "it was revealed that he was understanding and discerning of the needs of every creature. And so the Blessed Holy One found him fit to be the shepherd of Israel." God is the exemplar of compassion for all creatures, and "only a person who follows in the ways of God and who also has compassion for all creatures, and who knows how to determine and think deeply about the needs of each and every one of them, passes the test and is fit for the position of being a shepherd and leader" (’Or HaTzafun, 2:7-8).

Moses is fit to lead because of the depth and breadth of his compassion. As a shepherd in the wilderness who has trained himself to pay attention to the needs of other creatures, a shepherd who has finally come to understand the requirements of compassion, Moses has now reached a level where he considers the needs of all creatures and is ready to respond to all creatures with compassion. He has reached a point where, from the perspective of the divine, his thoughtfulness and compassion appear to be a part of his character.

Virtues are fragile, and it is not clear that Moses is able to uphold these moral ideals throughout the rest of his life. It is exceptionally difficult to develop a sense of compassion for all creatures for a moment, and even more difficult to maintain this sense for a lifetime.

Still, we may look to the ideal of compassion that was revealed in the person of Moses by the pool of water in the wilderness. All of us are called, like Moses, to recognize and consider the needs of all creatures and to respond with compassion to them. We are called not only to respond to the single animal in need, but also to recognize that countless suffering animals demand our concern. May we follow in the path of Moses in deepening and broadening our compassion.

SHAMAYIM: Jewish Animal Advocacy is a Jewish animal welfare organization that educates leaders, trains advocates, and leads campaigns for the ethical treatment of animals. Contact us at info@shamayimvaretz.org